Female urban-pop...

Alicia Keys' no makeup pledge is totally refreshing these days. I dig it. The singer was photographed by Jason Kim and styled by John Moore for the August 18th, 2016 issue of Grazia France.

Lacy Redway worked on hair with makeup by Dotti.She poses on the streets of New York City while wearing very minimal makeup. She also takes the same demure approach for her UK 'Ebony' cover and reveals that she believes she's created timeless music with her upcoming album. Apparently, it's the type of music that could come out 30 years from now. Hmmm. If history serves me correct, Rihanna said similar and then came out with 'Bitch Better Have My Money.' Never trust an artist when they say their upcoming music will be timeless.

'In Common' is a jam though, so I don't know why it failed to ignite the charts. Speaking of which, PartyNextDoor recently told The New York Times that Rihanna's Drake-assisted smash 'Work' was almost given to Alicia. "Rihanna’s label didn’t care for Caribbean music at the time so I almost kept the song and considered giving it to Alicia Keys. Rihanna fought for it" he said.

The song would not have been a hit for Keys. It might have stood a chance with Drake's feature, but it would not have encountered the same success. Instead, it would just come across as forced and not genuine. I think that's why they settled for something tamer like 'In Common,' because the song does have some Island vibes but still allows Alicia to sing it in a way that doesn't come across as contrived.